Documents and Requirements

Documents and Requirements to apply for Italian Citizenship Jure Sanguinis (By Descent)

As a general rule, the Law recognizes the possibility to acquire Italian citizenship to individuals born from a father of Italian citizenship (or from a father who had not yet renounced to Italian citizenship when such individual was born). After the entry into force of the Constitution of 1948, the same criteria apply to those born after January 1, 1948 from a mother of Italian citizenship.

U.S. issued vital records (birth, marriage, and death certificates) that are to be recorded in Italy must be in long form and bear the registrar’s raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar’s office.

IMPORTANT: Each document must also have affixed an APOSTILLE (According to the Hague Convention  Dec. 5th, 1961). “Apostille” is the legalization provided by the Office of the Secretary of State of the Country where the certificate is issued. Please note: it is not a stamp on the certificate. It is generally a separate document stapled to the birth/marriage/death/ certificate. The Apostille does not require any translation.

If you were born in the United States (or any other Country where citizenship is acquired by birth) and any one of the situations listed below pertain to you, you may be considered an Italian citizen. (For each category all conditions must be met).
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CATEGORIES AND CONDITIONS THAT NEED TO BE MET  (note: these conditions apply to applications subject to the rules in effect prior to March 28, 2025):

CATEGORY 1: Your father was an Italian citizen at the time of your birth and you never renounced your right to the Italian citizenship.

CATEGORY 2: Your mother was an Italian citizen at the time of your birth, you were born after January 1st, 1948 and you never renounced your right to the Italian citizenship.

CATEGORY 3: Your father was born in the United States or a Country other than Italy, your paternal grandfather was an Italian citizen at the time of his birth, neither you nor your father ever renounced your right to the Italian citizenship.

CATEGORY 4: Your mother was born in the United States or a Country other than Italy, your maternal grandfather was an Italian citizen at the time of her birth, you were born after January 1, 1948 and neither you nor your mother ever renounced your right to the Italian citizenship.

CATEGORY 5: Your paternal or maternal grandfather was born in the United States, your paternal great-grandfather was an Italian citizen at the time of his birth, neither you nor your father nor your grandfather ever renounced your right to Italian citizenship. (Please note: a grandmother born before 01/01/1948 can claim Italian citizenship only from her father and can transfer it only to children born after 01/01/1948.

NOTE: “Italian citizen at the time of “birth” means that he/she did not acquire any other citizenship through naturalization, before the descendant’s birth.

Prior to the March 28, 2025 Law-Decree (converted into law by Law No. 74/2025 on May 24, 2025), there was no generational limit to claim Italian citizenship by descent, as long as an unbroken chain of citizenship was proven to the most recent Italian-born ancestor, who must have been alive in 1861 (when Italy became a unified nation).

If you submitted your citizenship application prior to March 27, 2025 or were notified of a booked appointment before March 27, 2025, your application will be processed pursuant to the eligibility rules in effect prior to May 24^th, including the following conditions and categories.

Otherwise, individuals born abroad before or after May 24, 2025 to be recognized as an Italian citizen, they must have either:

• a parent or grandparent who was exclusively an Italian citizen
• a parent or adoptive parent who resided in Italy for two consecutive years following their acquisition of Italian citizenship and before their child’s date of birth or adoption.

THE “MINOR AGE” ISSUE: As per “circolare” n. 43347, released on October 3, 2024 by the Ministry of the Interior, if the Italian-born ancestor voluntarily acquired foreign citizenship while their child was still a minor (before March 9, 1975, the age of majority was 21 in Italy), the minor lost his or her Italian citizenship automatically. Therefore, this would have interrupted the chain of citizenship leading to the applicant, making them ineligible to apply through this Italian ancestor at an Italian consulate or Italian municipality. Those falling into this category of a “minor age” case have the possibility of filing their claim via the Italian courts due to extended wait times to secure an appointment at their local Italian consulate. Italian courts are not bound by the above-mentioned guidelines and are currently approving the majority of cases involving an ancestor who has naturalized when their child was a minor. Alternatively, it’s possible to apply via the courts through a female Italian-born ancestor who never naturalized, naturalized when their child was an adult, or naturalized involuntarily. This directive does not affect those who have already had their Italian citizenship recognized.

 

Below is a list of the documents required to apply for Italian Citizenship “jure sanguinis” under the rules in effect prior to March 28, 2025. Please note that some of the requirements vary between the Consular Jurisdictions, please contact us to learn about the specific variations.

If number 1 applies to you, you must obtain the following documents, all in original:

1) YOUR FATHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE from the “Comune” where your father was born, in “formato internazionale”, or in “estratto per riassunto” showing his parents names.

2) YOUR MOTHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE (see above or, if she was born in the U.S.A., request a “certified copy” or a “long form” or a “full form”).

3) YOUR PARENTS’ MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE from Italy. If it took place in the U.S.A., you must obtain a “certified copy” of the license and certificate and an “APOSTILLE” from the Secretary of State of the State in which it was issued; TRANSLATED INTO ITALIAN
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4) A COPY OF YOUR FATHER’S CERTIFICATE OF NATURALIZATION or his Italian passport and permanent resident card.

5) YOUR CIVIL RECORDS: BIRTH CERTIFICATE, MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE, BIRTH CERTIFICATES OF CHILDREN UNDER 18; DIVORCE RECORDS IF APPLICABLE. You must obtain a “certified copies” of “full form” or “long form” not abstract, of all certificates, authenticated with an APOSTILLE from the Secretary of State in which they were issued. The Certificates must be TRANSLATED INTO ITALIAN.

6) YOUR FATHER’S DEATH CERTIFICATE, if deceased, certified copy and legalized with APOSTILLE and TRANSLATED INTO ITALIAN.

If your father became a naturalized U.S. citizen before your birth, you are not entitled to Italian citizenship (unless you fit into another category).

If number 2 applies to you, you must follow the instructions under paragraph #1, but in regards to your mother.

1) YOUR MOTHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE from the “Comune” where your mother was born in “formato internazionale”, or in “estratto per riassunto” showing parents names.

2) YOUR FATHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE (see above, or, if he was born in the U.S.A., request a “certified copy” or a “long form” or a “full form”).

3) YOUR PARENTS’ MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE from Italy, follow the procedure above. If it took place in the U.S.A., you must obtain a “certified copy” of the license and certificate and an “APOSTILLE” from the Secretary of State of the State in which it was issued; TRANSLATED INTO ITALIAN

4) A COPY OF YOUR MOTHER’S CERTIFICATE OF NATURALIZATION

5) YOUR CIVIL RECORDS: BIRTH CERTIFICATE, MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE, BIRTH CERTIFICATES OF CHILDREN UNDER 18; DIVORCE RECORDS IF APPLICABLE. You must obtain a “certified copy” of “full form” or “long form” not abstracts, with an APOSTILLE from the Secretary of State in which it was issued. Birth, Marriage, Divorce Certificates must be TRANSLATED INTO ITALIAN.

6) YOUR MOTHER’S DEATH CERTIFICATE, if deceased, certified copy legalized with Apostille and TRANSLATED INTO ITALIAN.

If your mother became a naturalized U.S. citizen before your birth, you are not entitled to Italian citizenship (unless you fit into another category)

If number 3 applies to you, you must obtain the following:

1) YOUR PATERNAL GRANDFATHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE (from Italy)

2) YOUR PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE

3) YOUR GRANDPARENTS’ MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE from Italy, if it took place in the U.S.A., you must obtain a “certified copy” of the license and certificate and an “APOSTILLE” from the Secretary of State of the State in which it was issued; TRANSLATED INTO ITALIAN

4) YOUR GRANDFATHER’S CERTIFICATE OF NATURALIZATION

5) YOUR FATHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE, APOSTILLE and TRANSLATED

6) YOUR MOTHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE

7) YOUR PARENTS’ MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE, APOSTILLE and TRANSLATED

8) YOUR CIVIL RECORDS: BIRTH CERTIFICATE, MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE, BIRTH CERTIFICATES OF CHILDREN UNDER 18, DIVORCE RECORDS, APOSTILLE and TRANSLATED INTO ITALIAN

9) DEATH CERTIFICATE/S RELATING TO ITALIAN BORN ASCENDANTS ONLY, with APOSTILLE and TRANSLATION

If your grandfather became a naturalized U.S. citizen before your father’s birth, you are not entitled to Italian citizenship (unless you fit into another category).

If number 4 applies to you, you must obtain the following:

1) YOUR MATERNAL GRANDFATHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE (from Italy)

2) YOUR MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE

3) YOUR MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS’ MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE from Italy, if it took place in the U.S.A., you must obtain a “certified copy” of the license and certificate and an “APOSTILLE” from the Secretary of State of the State in which it was issued; TRANSLATED INTO ITALIAN

4) YOUR MATERNAL GRANDFATHER’S CERTIFICATE OF NATURALIZATION

5) YOUR MOTHER’ S BIRTH CERTIFICATE, APOSTILLE and TRANSLATED

6) YOUR FATHER’ S BIRTH CERTIFICATE

7) YOUR PARENTS’ MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE, APOSTILLE and TRANSLATED

8) YOUR CIVIL RECORDS: BIRTH CERTIFICATE, MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE, BIRTH CERTIFICATES OF CHILDREN UNDER 18; DIVORCE RECORDS, APOSTILLE AND TRANSLATION

9) DEATH CERTIFICATE/S RELATING TO THE ITALIAN BORN ASCENDANTS ONLY with APOSTILLE and TRANSLATION

If your grandfather became a naturalized U.S. citizen before your mother’s birth, you are not entitled to Italian citizenship (unless you fit into another category).

If number 5 applies to you, you must obtain the following:

1) YOUR PATERNAL GREAT GRANDFATHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE (from Italy)

2) YOUR PATERNAL GREAT GRANDMOTHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE

3) YOUR PATERNAL GREAT GRANDPARENTS’ MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE from Italy, if it took place in the U.S.A., you must obtain a “certified copy” of the license and certificate and an “APOSTILLE” from the Secretary of State of the State in which it was issued; TRANSLATED INTO ITALIAN

4) YOUR PATERNAL GREAT GRANDFATHER’S CERTIFICATE OF NATURALIZATION

5) YOUR PATERNAL GRANDFATHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE, APOSTILLE and TRANSLATED

6) YOUR PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE

7) YOUR PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS’ MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE, APOSTILLE and TRANSLATED

8) YOUR FATHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE, APOSTILLE and TRANSLATED

9) YOUR MOTHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE

10) YOUR PARENTS’ MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE, APOSTILLE and TRANSLATED

11) YOUR CIVIL RECORDS: BIRTH CERTIFICATE, MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE, BIRTH CERTIFICATES OF CHILDREN UNDER 18; DIVORCE RECORDS, APOSTILLE and TRANSLATED INTO ITALIAN

12) DEATH CERTIFICATE/S RELATING TO THE ITALIAN BORN ASCENDANTS ONLY with APOSTILLE and TRANSLATION.

If your great-grandfather became a naturalized U.S. citizen before your paternal grandfather’s birth, you are not entitled to Italian citizenship (unless you fit into another category).